KP Projects is excited to announce its upcoming exhibition, Outside In Doors, a series of new works from painter Lola Gil. Outside In Doors is a story of exploration, discovery, enlightenment and growth, as well as messages of comfort and reassurance from experiences gained and lessons learned.

A two-year process, Lola began painting this series in January of 2015, inspired by a journey into the subconscious to deepen the enlightenment of self, and chronicle her metaphysical voyage through visual narrative. Although the outset of each works comes from a personal place, each painting expands beyond the scope of individual experience. As a vessel for lucid dreaming and a means of collective imagination, each composition invites the viewer to step outside of their own reality and in through the door of each painting. Viewing their dreamlike world, while wondering what’s beyond the vision within the frame, Lola’s figures stare off in wistful contemplation. The silhouette bodies express a sense of cosmic mystery where thematic out-of-body ‘seeing’ is truly believing. Elements in each of the paintings inspire an arousal of the senses – the repetition of eyes and ears parallel vision, hearing, and perception.

Throughout her career, Lola has described her approach to painting as narrative escapism. Escapism’s central purpose is to draw us away from our everyday troubles, and, to sometimes help us to fantasize ourselves as better, more enlightened, creators of our own stories. This is not meant as a temporary distraction, but a greater expansion of ourselves; an escape into the artist’s world, with our own personal experiences reflected in the canvases.

As I worked on “Outside In Doors” I was reminded of a quote from the late American novelist and short-story writer, Kurt Vonnegut, “I want to stay as close to the edge as I can, without going over. On the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” I find this deeply profound, not just as a catalyst to inspire me to chase the wilder imagination that resides inside of me, but also as a sort of key that unlocks these doors we all tend to be stuck behind.

So, I invite the viewer to experience just standing still for a moment and allowing time for reflection and learning. Our worlds, and the relationships within our worlds, are seen differently when you begin to listen and observe.